Up There
by fugacior
Summary: From down here, it stands majestic. From up there, it feels like magic. BertAnnie.


_I wonder how it's like to be..._

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**Up There**

**Shingeki no Kyojin © Isayama Hajime**

* * *

Do you remember the reason why we loved treehouses?

I do.

We were so young, so pure. Our little hands entwined together tightly, as we ambled across the open field filled with serenity. We laid ourselves down and gazed at the sky, marveled by the beauty of mother nature. Above afternoon, we gathered under a large tree and leaned, until we couldn't even realize that we have slept soundingly until dusk arrived.

One day, our friend, Reiner, discovered something palatial to us at that time.

"Can you see it?"

He pointed towards atop of our heads. At a particularly hefty branch, a sternly built house stood. I immediately wondered how rigid was the tree to hold such edifice while admiring its grace. When I turned to see what you thought of it, I was mesmerized.

I have never seen you smiled like that in years.

It was as if the house enthralled you with its hex. When it comes to being enchanted, you were out of any league possible. Your heart was imperviously difficult to be pierced, not even with force nor gentleness. But this...

... it _touched_ you deep down, and you didn't shun away from it.

"What do you guys think?"

I remember your answer to Reiner's question at that time as you peered beamingly. To this day, I would never forget it.

"It's beautiful."

You know what I think of it?

"Me too."

But not even a magnanimous treehouse could compare to the winsomeness of your smile.

* * *

A cold-hearted snake. A lone wolf. An ice queen. Robo-bitch.

Whatever names they called me, I acted as if I were oblivious to it. It was pointless to give a damn, since they were mere attention seekers. They just wanted to look for someone to be taken blame upon, but had they ever thought if they called the kettle black, those pots were just as low as who they insulted?

How feeble-minded.

I have to admit, it would be a tough job if you spent most of your time trying to gain my recognition, moreover respect. Some were blindly persistent as well as to test my patience, so I had no choice but to make them scram. That's what they get when they tried to mess with me.

Duly noted that I only trust few people, and it's rare for me to be impressed of something.

The world's projection was monochromatic in my vision. Dashes of amalgamated black and white emerged, which then produced assimilar colors of grey. Such forlorn view of happiness had made me stolid and apathetic. Maybe that's the reason behind my callousness.

Though, something quite moved me from being detached.

"Annie?"

You called out my name out of the blue. I nonchalantly responded, "What is it?"

"Have you ever recalled the moment when we were little, we found a house built at a large tree branch?"

Now that you mentioned it, it seemed familiar again.

As far as I acknowledged, I haven't reminisced a bit of what we used to have in our childhood days. We'd grown into adolescents—nonetheless, I never looked back of what I was as a little girl.

"Don't you miss those days?" you kept going. "You know that was the first time I've seen you smiled, and you looked pretty when you did."

"Oh, shut up."

Come on, why did you have to bring that up again?

I shifted my face away, gloating to the horizon. I hated it when some foolish words baffled me, making me look like an idiot. Despite the exception of this case, somehow it made me feel a little better of myself.

"Can I promise you something, Annie?"

This time, I decided not to answer anything. You sighed as you gave me a moment to realize that I shouldn't have stayed this way all along.

"Someday, I will build you a treehouse. Just like what we saw at that day."

I couldn't help but smile after you've said it.

* * *

Apparently, I didn't get to keep my promise.

I was lucky enough to marry you years later. The service was appeasing, everyone was delighted, things went fantastically well. I was a fortunate man indeed at the most blissful day of our lives.

Then came the toasts, filled with congratulating words, hopes and prayers, some side-teasing—all which I couldn't be more grateful for. I haven't received so many blessings...

... but one had captivated me till the very end.

When it was Reiner's turn, he didn't raise his glass as he spoke likewise anyone else. Instead, he rose from his place and extended his hands in front of us. He smiled, then vaguely whispered,

"Come with me."

You turned to me in confusion, your face was filled with doubt. To be honest, I wasn't expecting this too, but I decided to trust him. I nodded my head with certainty. Gladly, you were convinced enough to stand from your seat and to follow him.

He stepped outside the building where the reception was held. We hadn't seen everything yet. He kept holding our hands as we continued walking. I patiently waited for something to come out—unfortunately, it was still naught.

"Get ready."

_For what?_

That was the only question inside my head. As I went on with this little game, I searched for the answer. You were curious of what might've happened too, weren't you? Both of us were. I believed that it wouldn't be as bad as it could be...

"Surprise!"

... or maybe it exceeded far from any notion made.

"Whoa."

You were right—'whoa' was the word.

Starstruck and stupefied, the sight of the extragavant 'wedding gift' (as Reiner preferred to refer it that way) soon appeared. Once again, I was compelled in enchantment—only this time, it grew larger than how it was when I first caught a glimpse of it.

You were also in awe—admit it, your eyes were gleaming! Too bad, I couldn't take a picture of it. It was scarce for you to put up such joyful expression like that, especially when it comes to this.

"Mind if you want to try it out?"

I looked at my best man, who winked meaningfully as he glanced at you and broadened his grin. Then, I changed my glare to you, hoping that you would want to go there with me. I took your hand—no, I _carried_ you away, not caring if you weren't so pleased about it. You demanded me to take you down, but I pretended that I didn't listen to it, as I gently brought you up until we reached there.

I felt like living a dream—mine, and yours too. _Our_ dream, to be precise.

The house seemed to be so grandiose when I saw it from below, but as I got to the inside of it, it was subtly ethereal. I was very enamored by its classicality, especially from when the lucidity of the light shone. Simple, but breathtaking.

I saw you approaching the window and put your head out. Dauntlessly, you tilted your body a little low while hanging onto its stool. I was afraid that you might've fell from there, so I held you from your waist.

It was a magnificent view from up here.

I could see everyone down there, as I waved my hands exuberantly and they were cheering for us. Even Reiner sparked the situation by shouting a question which made us blushed incontrollably, "May I have another kiss from the bride and the groom?"

Great.

You sulked when you heard it, shaking your head as you told me, "We don't have to do this again."

I chuckled. "But I want to do it again. Just for both of us, okay?"

After a minute as the uproars went rambunctious, you gave up. I swore I could see an enigmatic upward curve on your utmost fair complexion before I cupped your face and claimed your lips with mine one more time.

* * *

"No..."

I murmured as my knees dropped to the ground.

A devastating scene played right before me. I didn't know what to do. I was helplessly vulnerable, crushed and cornered. My body was frozen, my tongue went numb, as if I was completely paralyzed.

This was the third time I felt defenseless.

I gathered my courage to stand back up, holding myself from any emotional breakdown. I knew that it was real, I wasn't dreaming, and it was no use for me to convince myself that everything would be alright after it occurred. I'm not a pollyanna, after all.

But it was too much for me to be handled on.

The blazing flame engulfed what had used to be a dream. Chops of wood scattered here and there, crippled and slowly incinerated. What was left of it were flying ashes.

Despite how hurtful it was to see such morosity, it was nothing compared to have you standing there.

I began to move closely to your side, then I carefully caught your arm. Your stare was fixed against the massacre in front of you, and I didn't want to startle you. I shifted my glance to the axe you gripped in your hand, which then you dropped since you must've realized that I noticed it.

"Why... did you do this?"

I asked you spontaneously, and I felt like an idiot for being so impulsive at that time. You didn't say a word. Instead, you pulled me to your side and let out painful sobs. The feeling stabbed me right by my chest, scorching it as if I were asphyxiated.

"I'm sorry, Ann..."

Your apologize made it even worse, you know that?

Suddenly, tears flowed from my eyes. I wished to hold it back, but I couldn't. As I cried inaudibly, your hands stroked locks of my hair while kept saying sorry hundreds of times. I bit my lip hard when you kissed the top of my head. We embraced ourselves in warmth in the middle of the cold night.

"Hey, Reiner, how is it like to be up there?"

Your rhetorical query was the last that I've ever heard at the end of the day.

**fin.**

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**A/N: **Why did I end up writing this.

Credits and dedicated to **crystallized cherry** for the pair and the prompt keyword. Thanks a lot! You've given me a pretty good filler to relax myself writing in less than 2000 words. I hope this could motivate me into finishing some of my works!

And if you don't mind, feedbacks are very much accepted.


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